Back to the Workshop

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Jumping into that portal was like jumping into a human sized washing machine. It was really disorienting. I was suddenly back in North's workshop. I moved out of the way as soon as possible because I knew that the Yetis would come through with Jack.

I went and stood next to Sandy and proceeded to unhook Willow's claws from my shirt. I then heard muffled screaming and a thud. I looked up to see the sack that the Yetis shoved Jack into... WAIT, DID THEY THROW HIM THROUGH THE PORTAL?! North attempted to shush everyone. A couple of elves went over to the sack and peeked inside. Jack slowly emerged from the sack.

"Hey...! There he is! Jack Frost!" North raised his voice as he said Jack's name. "Wow... you gotta be kidding me," Jack mumbled. Just as he finished that sentence, the Yetis grabbed his arms and hoisted him to his feet. He protested a bit against them.

North then gestured to the Yetis. "I hope the Yetis treated you well?" Jack then replied, really sarcastically, "Oh yeah, I love being shoved in a sack and tossed through a magic portal.""Oh. Good! That was my idea."

I don't know if North was being genuine or sarcastic then but whatever. North went on introducing everyone.

"You know Bunny, obviously," Bunny murmured something in reply but even I couldn't decipher what he had said. Bunny had told us about all the times that Jack Frost had messed up his egg hunts and about a blizzard on Easter Sunday which I can tell he was not happy about.

"And Tiger Lily," North then introduced me. As he said my name, I managed to unhook Willow's claws from my shirt with ripping it. I then placed Willow on my shoulder, looked up at Jack and gave him a thumbs-up, which he returned.

"And the Tooth Fairy-" North was cut off by Tooth who immediately flew up to Jack. "Hello Jack! I've heard a lot about you, and your teeth!"

When I first met Tooth, she told me that my teeth squeaked like mice when they were rubbed which I thought was a bit odd. I wonder what she's gonna say about Jack's teeth.

"My- my what?" Jack sounded really weirded out when Tooth said about his teeth. Tooth approached Jack. "Open up! Are they really as white as they say?" Tooth put her hands in Jack's mouth to check his teeth. And yes, she did the same thing to me when I became a Guardian.

"Oh, they really do sparkle like freshly fallen snow!" She gasped. Her fairies began to swoon again. "Girls, pull yourselves together! Let's not disgrace the uniform." And then she flew back to where she was beforehand.

North went to introduce Sandy to Jack."And Sandman," North said, only realising now that Sandy had fallen asleep. I took notice too. North was saying his name trying to get him to wake up. I crouched down to Sandy's height and poked him in the cheek. He woke up and looked at me with an expression that said 'What?' Which just made me burst into a small giggle fit. Willow was laughing as well. Sandy just looked at us, then shook his head with a small smile and faced the front again.

"Hey! Woah! Anyone wanna tell me why I'm here?" Jack asked. Sandy stepped forward and started symbol speaking over his head, but really fast! "Uh, eh- the- that's not really helping, but- but thanks little man," Jack said. I looked at Sandy. "What were you even saying then?" I asked, with a hint of a giggle in my voice. I swear I was about to start laughing again. He just rolled his eyes and looked forward again. I chuckled.

Jack turned around and started to slowly walk away from us. He froze a nearby elf with his staff. "I must've done something really bad to get you five together- Wha- Am I on the Naughty List?"

"Hah! On Naughty List? You hold record," North scolded, "But! No matter, we overlook. Now we are wiping clean the slate."

"How come?" Jack asked turning to look at us."Hah, good question," Bunny said."How come? I tell you how come! Because now, you are Guardian!" North yelled, throwing his arms in the air. Jack looked extremely confused at what North had just said.

The Yetis then raised up lit poi sticks. The elves started to play a jubilant song on trumpets and drums. North was chuckling, and Jack freaked out a little as two Tooth Fairies brung Jack a snowflake necklace, possibly cut out of paper.

"This is the best part!" North had to raise his voice to be heard over all the noise. The elves continued to march around. The Yetis with poi sticks walked closer to Jack and then behind him. They propped him onto his spot in the middle of the Guardian symbol on the floor. Jack looked really confused as two elves approached him with a pair of bright blue shoes with little bells on the end of them!

North is still delighted as the Yetis present him with a book with the letter 'G' on the front cover. The Tooth Fairies twittered, Sandy toasted Jack with a cup of eggnog and Bunny just rolled his eyes. I noticed that Jack looked a bit upset with what was happening. He then raised his staff and slammed it down, sending a freezing wind our way. Willow squeaked and hid in my hair. The performers all stopped and all attention was on Jack.

"What makes you think I wanna be a Guardian?" Jack asked, incredulously. It was silent for what felt like an hour, then North started to laugh really loudly. Bunny laughed nervously along before becoming serious again. Sandy was looking back and forth from North to Jack. I just stood there, not knowing what to say, do or what was going to happen if Jack didn't become a Guardian.

North abruptly stopped laughing."Of course you do. Music!" He snapped his fingers and the elves start up again.

"No music!" Jack had to raise his voice in order to be heard above the noise. The music quickly died again. An elf threw down his trumpet and smacked his comrade with the sousaphone as he was walking away.

"This is all very flattering, but, uh... You don't want me. You're all hard work and deadlines. And I'm... snowballs and fun times. I'm not a Guardian," Jack explained. He was now sitting on the edge of a console in front of the huge globe.

"Hah! That's exactly what I said!" Bunny said with mock disbelief. Tooth held her hand out as if to say 'stop'. She then flew other to Jack and said.

"Jack, I don't think you understand what it is we do," Tooth started."Being a Guardian has got nothing to do with your job or what you do in general," I explained."Yes," Tooth agreed. "Look, Jack, each of those lights is a child-" Tooth indicated to the golden lights in the globe.

"A child who believes," North continued, "And good or bad, Naughty or Nice, we protect them," He finished. Jack then started to make strange noises. I looked over to see Tooth, with her fingers in Jack's mouth, inspecting his teeth.

"Tooth!" I said, "Get your fingers out of his mouth, please."

"Oh, sorry!" She said, sheepishly. "Heh, they're beautiful!"

"Okay no more wishy washy, Pitch is out there doing who knows what!" North cut us off with impatience lacing his voice.

"You mean th- the Boogeyman?" Jack asked."Yes," North answered, "When Pitch threatens us, he threatens them as well!" He gestured towards the globe.

"All the more reason to pick someone more qualified!" Jack argued. That got North's attention. He looked at Jack as if to say 'did I just hear him right?'

"Pick? You think we pick?! No! You were chosen! Like we were all chosen! By Man in Moon," North stated. Jack turned to look at us like he didn't hear us right."What?" Jack asked in disbelief."Last night, Jack, he chose you," Tooth explained."Maybe," Bunny muttered. I glared at him, but he didn't see which is a good thing though, he isn't in a good mood.

"Man in the Moon, he, uh... he talks to you?" Jack asked. "You see, you cannot say no. It is destiny," North explained.

"W-why, why wouldn't he just tell me that himself?" Jack asked no one in particular. He groaned. "After 300 years, this is his answer? To spend eternity like you guys, cooped up in some- some hideout, thinking of- of new ways to bribe kids? No, no, that's not for me! No offence," After Jack finished his rant, Bunny jumped at the opportunity to start an argument.

"How- how- How is that not offensive? You know what I think, I- I think we just dodged a bullet. I mean what's this clown know about bringing joy to children anyway?" Bunny really does want to start an argument. Jack turned to face Bunny."Uh, you ever hear of a snow day? I know it's no... hardboiled egg, but kids like what I do," Jack retorted.

"But none of 'em believe in ya. Do they? Y'see, you're invisible, mate - it's like you don't even exist," The Pooka fires back. That was a low blow. I wasn't happy hearing him say something like that.

"Bunny, there's no need to say something like that!" I scolded him. He took no notice; I could tell he was smirking.

"No, the kangaroo's right," Jack said. "Why do I bother?" I muttered. Willow nuzzled her cheek into mine. I pulled her off of my shoulder and held her in my arms, scratching her behind the ears.

"The- the what? What'd you call me? I'm not a kangaroo, mate," Bunny said, approaching Jack."Oh! And this whole time I thought you were. If you're not a kangaroo, what are you?" Jack asked, sarcastically. Bunny got in Jack's face.

"I'm a bunny. The Easter Bunny. People believe in me."

When Bunny said that, I saw Jack's facial expression drop a bit. Bunny can be a right idiot sometimes. Willow was watching this little argument take place with wide eyes.

Sandy blew out his cheeks, then gestured to North to do something. North stepped forward. "Jack, walk with me."

Jack went ahead and followed North onto an elevator which headed down. The rest of us were left here to wait. Bunny walked away and went to lean on a pillar, Tooth went back to talking to her fairies and I had sat down where I was and played with Willow. Sandy came over and sat next to me. Willow walked over to him and he started scratching her behind the ears.

Tooth then broke the silence. "What?! Oh, no, no, no!" She started to fly towards the large open window. I quickly got up and ran to the railing."Tooth, what's happened?" I yelled."The Tooth Palace, it's being attacked!" Tooth replied, she sounded like she was about to cry. Was this Pitch doing this?"We'll meet you there, okay?" I reassured her. She nodded, then turned around and flew away as fast as she could.

I turned around and scooped up Willow and sat her on my shoulders. Then Bunny, Sandy and I began running to North's office. We ran through multiple corridors until we caught sight of Jack and North. Once we reached them, Bunny told them what was happening.

"We have a problem, mate. Trouble at the Tooth Palace."

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